TIRANA, Sept 15 /ATA/- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has raised concerns with foreign diplomats over proposed changes to parliamentary rules, warning that they risk undermining Albania’s EU integration process.
In a letter addressed to nine embassies in Tirana – including the U.S. Embassy and the EU Delegation- the chairman of DP parliamentary group, Gazment Bardhi, criticized the ruling Socialist Party (SP) for initiating unilateral changes without consulting the opposition.
Bardhi noted that the proposed changes include expansion of the number of parliamentary committees from 8 to 11 and merging the European Integration Committee with the Foreign Affairs Committee.
He warned that this move breaks with democratic traditions where the European Integration Committee is typically chaired by the opposition.
“These proposals were presented not in Parliament, but during the Socialist Party’s National Assembly, without any opposition participation in the working group,” Bardhi said.
He argued that removing opposition leadership from the EU Integration Committee sidelines the opposition’s role in the process and goes against the parliamentary models of other Western Balkan countries, where such committees are led by the opposition.
Bardhi called on the diplomatic community to intervene and urge the Socialist majority to halt the changes and engage in a dialogue with opposition parties before proceeding.
Prime Minister Edi Rama earlier announced the restructuring plan, stating that the new committees would reflect the EU negotiation chapters, with seven chaired by the majority and four by the opposition. He said the reform aims to streamline parliamentary work and reduce overlapping responsibilities among MPs.
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